Early Bitcoin millionaire could’ve made $95,000,000 more if he hadn’t made a simple but costly mistake
Published on Feb 25, 2026 at 12:20 PM (UTC-5)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Feb 25, 2026 at 12:20 PM (UTC-5)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Early Bitcoin millionaire Jered Kenna could’ve made $95,000,000 more if he hadn’t made a simple but costly mistake.
Back in 2010, he was buying Bitcoin when a single coin was just $0.20, the kind of money that makes you want to invent time travel.
Kenna’s early bet paid off big and fast, turning him into one of crypto’s first wave of young millionaires.
But one accidental click later meant that a fortune was deleted.
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How an early Bitcoin millionaire made a simple but costly mistake
Young Bitcoin millionaire Jered Kenna reportedly spent around $1,000 to scoop up about 5,000 bitcoin in 2010, when the crypto world was still a nerdy corner of the internet.
At the time, most people had never even heard of Bitcoin, let alone considered putting real money into it.
Not long after, he accidentally wiped roughly 800 bitcoin from his computer, but back then, it was worth about $160, so he brushed it off, saying he had ‘plenty more‘.
That casual moment is what really stings now.
With Bitcoin having surged massively since those early days, the lost stash would today be worth around $95.3 million.
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What $95,000,000 more could have meant for him
Even without those missing coins, Kenna still became a major name in early Bitcoin.
He went on to launch TradeHill in 2011, an early US Bitcoin exchange that at one point handled a significant share of global Bitcoin trading.
His journey has not been smooth sailing, because in 2016, he said hackers managed to take control of his email after buying a smartphone in his name.
In doing so, they were able to gain access to dozens of accounts and steal millions, a stressful ordeal that reportedly left him hospitalized and dealing with high blood pressure.
These days, Jered Kenna has largely stepped away from the crypto spotlight.
He has focused on building a craft brewing business in Colombia and working on a co-living tech space in San Francisco.
The story is a reminder of how early crypto was a mix of huge opportunity and huge risk.
And somewhere out there, there is an alternative version of this story where the mistake was never made, that hard drive never got wiped, and an extra $95,000,000 stayed in the Bitcoin wallet.
Daisy is a technology and automotive journalist covering artificial intelligence, consumer tech, Apple news, cryptocurrency, emerging technologies, and transportation innovation. Since joining the team in 2025, she has reported on everything from AI-powered startups and major iOS updates to viral car stories and the latest developments shaping transportation and the digital economy. Drawing on her background in automotive journalism and a degree in History and Journalism from Goldsmiths, University of London, Daisy specializes in breaking down complex topics into clear, engaging reporting for a global audience. Her work spans cutting-edge technology, innovative vehicles, and the people driving change across both industries. Daisy has gained first-hand access to some of the world's most talked-about technologies and innovators, including meeting Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot during its first European appearance in London. She has also discussed the future of space exploration with an astronaut, bringing unique insights and real-world perspectives to her coverage of emerging technology.
